


Vocaloid Academy

by The_Dark_Kunoichi



Category: Vocaloid
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Angst, Bullying, Embarrassed Len, Evil Neru, F/M, Fluff, Friendship, Helpless Rin, High School, Hurt/Comfort, Innocent Rin, Jealous Neru, Jealous Tei, Len is Clueless About Love, Minor Violence, Romance, Shy Len, Shy Rin, Swearing, Sweet Len, Sweet Rin, Tortured Rin, Violent Neru, protective Len
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-22
Updated: 2016-08-20
Packaged: 2018-05-08 11:00:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,538
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5494748
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Dark_Kunoichi/pseuds/The_Dark_Kunoichi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kagami Rin is a new student at Vocaloid Academy, a popular school known to produce the most famous of singers. But due to unfortunate events, she became an instant victim of Akita Neru and her gang's abusive and cruel ways. Can a friendship with Kagamine Len protect her or make her situation worse? After all, it's not her fault that Neru has an obsessive crush on him... and Len on Rin herself.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Vocaloid Academy

…

Vocaloid Academy. The most popular vocational performing arts school in Japan, specializing in cultivating and enhancing the singing voices and musical prowess of the students.

Vocaloid Academy is known everywhere. It's known for its ability to produce the best singers in Japan, and those singers eventually become famous in other countries. Every student is talented and special. Everyone has their own singing style, their own range, and their own timbre. No one is alike, that's why they all became famous in their own right.

The students there are called Vocaloids.

While the Academy has a good reputation, only the students there knows that every Vocaloid is different. Like normal students, they all have their own 'group'. There are the nerds and otakus who likes to sing anime and cartoon songs, the jocks who sing rap music, the band who sings and plays rock songs and instruments, the virtuoso who specializes in singing and playing classical music and instruments, the opera singers, pop singers, the choir members, and a lot more. But out of all these groups, there is only one that is considered and recognized as the best of the best in the Academy. The group is known as the Crypton Vocaloids.

The Crypton Vocaloids have been there since the school first opened, and always consisted of the best singers in the Academy. One of its first members are Vocaloids Leon, Lola, and Sweet Ann. The trio helped boost the Academy's reputation and then went on to become famous singers in their own right. A lot of the best students have been a member of the group, and this year is no exception. Crypton Vocaloids now consisted of campus sweetheart and the most famous Vocaloid in school, Hatsune Miku. The independent redhead with a temper Sakine Meiko. The campus heartthrob and resident ice cream lover and idiot (as called by Meiko) Shion Kaito. The quiet and cool former kendo student but secretly has a fetish for eggplants Kamui Gakupo, and the half-Japanese half-American student Megurine Luka. No one could deny that they are the best, and everyone has always looked up to the group as if they were already famous idols themselves. And Kagami Rin is no different.

Unlike the other Vocaloids, Kagami Rin has not joined any group in school yet. The main reason is she's a transfer student. The other reason is she's a loser.

Of course, it's not Rin's fault she's branded as a loser during her first day. It's a plain accident involving hard-to-open lockers, a malfunctioning drinking fountain, a faulty alarm clock, her extreme shyness, a mishap in a class where she is asked to sing, and a puddle of sake (seriously, how did those get in there?!) This _minor_ accident, coupled with the fact that a lot of people saw her, now had her branded as a loser.

Originally, she didn't mind since all people gave her was a few looks and rumors. But it gradually became worse when Akita Neru and her gang became involved. It seems that they are the resident bullies of the school (since no school is complete without one, even something as popular as the Academy) and takes pleasure in torturing others and spreading rumors. Their usual victims are the otaku group (Rin heard that Neru has an undying rage for otakus) but now it seems Rin is their new target.

Their bullying are usually just taunts about her so-called annoyingly high and screechy voice and the occasional push and shove in the hallway, but after a few weeks, it got worse. No one knows why they enjoyed picking on Rin that much, and other nicer students tried to stop it, but no one is brave enough to stand up against Akita Neru and her second and third-in-command, Sukone Tei and Yowane Haku so eventually, they just ignored what is happening right in front of them and left Rin to deal with the demons themselves.

Eventually, the bullying left the school. Their group eventually became obsessed with Rin and even resorted to stalking her home. But Rin thankfully has caught on and often led the gang in circles until she can sneak away. She doesn't want her family to know about her situation in school. Her father has enough on his plate as it is. And she doesn't want to bother her older brother, Kagami Rinto, with her petty problems. Her mother died when she was very young, so she can't very well tell her about her problems. Rinto is usually the one who acts like a mother to her, so it can't be helped that he'll know about the bullying problem eventually. After all, he attends the same school.

Kagami Rinto's the best older brother anyone could ask for, though he has a tendency to be overprotective towards his only little sister. He is a good singer in his own right, and is part of the Pop Singers group. While he also attends Vocaloid Academy and is the only ally Rin has in school, he couldn't watch her back and protect her all the time because of their different classes, his extracurricular activities, his bonding times with his girlfriend, and the fact that he's several years older than his sister. As a result, while he _does_ know about the bullying, he can't do anything about it.

In fear of angering or getting teased by Neru's gang, no one wants to be near Rin. The only one who even bothered is Shion Kaito, the kind but idiot heartthrob of the school. And even then the only reason he did that is because Rin is eating orange-flavored ice cream at that moment. It didn't make any difference because Kaito hangs out with anybody eating ice cream. Though they did have a good chat and he showed her around the campus until the ice cream is finished.

Now exactly a month has passed, and Kagami Rin is still being bullied and it showed no signs of stopping whatsoever. Though their torture _did_ die down when a student transferred to their school. A boy with hair as blonde as Rin's, only difference is that it is held back by a small ponytail, and with eyes almost the exact same shade of blue. His name is Kagamine Len and he could have been Rin's long lost twin brother. They look more alike than Rinto ever did. He is cute, no doubt about it, but Akita Neru and Sukone Tei are OBSESSED with him. They follow him around, they got his phone number, they document his every move, they take pictures… all that fancy stalkerish stuff. Big surprise is, Kagamine seemed oblivious to all that. Based on Rin's observations, he's cool and kind. And when asked to sing in a class, he has an adorable and rich voice, with a range that can beat any ordinary girl's. He instantly became famous after that and just after two weeks, he is asked to join Crypton Vocaloids, which he immediately declined. It caused such an uproar, (who in their right mind would even reject that group's offer?!) but Len brushed it off and claimed that he didn't want to become famous. He then ultimately ended up with the Pop Singers group where he met Rinto. The two instantly hit it off, and by extreme coincidence, it seems that Rinto's girlfriend, Kagamine Lenka, is Len's older sister.

So now that Rinto's busier than ever because of his new friend, Rin is more miserable than before. The pause in Neru's bullying resumed after a week, and Rin is now left with no choice but to take it. It usually doesn't work when she tries to defend herself, so what's the point in trying any longer?

Gradually, they became more physically violent. And whenever Rin asks for help from the teachers, they instantly refuse. It seems that Sukone Tei is feared everywhere because of her violent and sadistic streak. Even teachers are afraid to trigger her wrath.

And that is how Vocaloid Academy, which is a known and respected school with an excellent reputation, gradually became hell for Kagami Rin.


	2. An Orange-Related Incident

"Ah! Sorry…" Rin murmured. The guy she bumped grumbled incoherently, but at least he didn't get her back. Lunch bell just rang, and Rin is glad to be away from that horrid math class. Apparently, even singers need to learn Math. Something about calculating the musical note value or something, Rin didn't really listen. No one did, except for that math genius Ivy Anna. But oddly enough, no one knows her by that name. Instead, she goes by IA (which doesn't make any sense. It sounds like a robot name.)

At the moment though, Rin is navigating the crowded hallways, trying her best not to bump anyone while hiding herself from Neru's gang simultaneously. They always pick this time to torment her because she's usually eating alone. Last time's taunting was so bad she ate her food while hiding in the bathroom, and she's not at all eager to repeat _that_ experience. (It's pretty hard to eat while someone is doing their business next door). But not today. Rin is determined to eat in peace.

Successfully reaching the cafeteria without any sign of Neru and her friends, Rin proceeded to make a beeline for the food counter, racing against time. Neru will be here any moment…

Realizing she'll have to wait in line for a while, Rin scanned the room for signs of a certain evil long haired blonde girl. While looking, she noticed that every table in the cafeteria are filled by every group in the school. Rin blinked, _is this always their arrangements and I never noticed?_

It seems that there is a system. The tables go from least popular to most popular. The less popular groups like the opera singers and the virtuoso group are by the edge of the room near the walls. Next to them are the slightly popular groups like the pop singers, the choir, and the band. And of course the table in the middle of the room is occupied by the Crypton Vocaloids. Rin could clearly see Hatsune Miku munching on a… wait, is that a _leek?_ Shion Kaito on the other hand is digging into a huge tub of cheesecake and vanilla ice cream, (what does that even taste like?) while battling Sakine Meiko into a spoon vs. an even bigger spoon battle for… sake flavored ice cream?! _What?_ Kamui Gakupo is reading a book while eating… purple goop? Some kind of weird eggplant flavored soup? _Huh?_ Megurine Luke seems to be the only normal one. She's eating tuna with rice.

Rin blinked dumbly and shook her head. _The Crypton Vocaloids are weirder than I thought…_

"Hiya sis!"

Rin squealed when a hand suddenly ruffled her hair, leaving it resembling a rat's nest. She ducked and turned to see her older brother Rinto wearing his signature carefree smile. She blushed as she patted her hair down and hissed, "Onii-chan! Stop, it's embarrassing!"

Rinto just grinned. "You look really adorable when you're blushing Rin~! Makes me want to do it again!"

Rin ' _eeped_ ' and ducked before Rinto's hand can make contact with her head. She stuck her tongue out at him, to which he just laughed and made Rin smile in spite of herself. _Hooray for annoying but lovable older brothers._

"But kidding aside, why are you still alone? Haven't you joined any group yet?" He asked concerned.

Rin shook her head. "Just don't feel like dedicating myself to a group yet. When I join something, I want to be absolutely sure."

"Well if you've got no one to eat with, I'm right here. I'm sure my group will be glad to have you."

Again, she shook her head politely. "It's alright. I'm going to eat on the rooftop anyways." Besides, the last time she ate with the pop singers group and Neru and her friends came along, the result was an all-out food war that just caused the whole school to hate her even more for ruining their damaged clothes, even though she has absolutely nothing to do with it. Maybe it's standard custom to blame the outcast…

"Are you sure? Our table's really free. And if those stupid bratty _girls_ came along again I swear I'll…"

"No, it's really okay. Thanks onii-chan!" Rin smiled reassuringly. She doesn't want to get him in trouble. It's better for her to handle this alone.

"Well, at least let me pay for your food." Rinto doesn't look like he'll back down without having a say in something, so Rin just smiled in thanks and watched as Rinto made his way to the counter to pay.

"Tonkatsu with orange sauce and orange juice with an orange for dessert right? Seriously, where did you get this orange obsession of yours…" Rinto murmured. He doesn't even need to ask. They both know her favorite food. He paid and handed her the tray. "Are you leaving now?"

"Yes, thanks for this onii-chan." Rin smiled at him gratefully. He really is the only friend she has in this school.

Tray in hand, she hurriedly walked away from her brother and to the double doors of the cafeteria. She weaved her way through the crowds and dashed as fast as she can to rooftop. Maybe she can hide between those air ducts so she can eat in peace. Besides, this looks yummy~

Her stomach immediately rumbled at the thought and she felt her face burn. She just realized that she really _is_ hungry…

"Oh Rinny- _chaaan~_!" A sickly sweet voice suddenly echoed in the halls and she instantly froze in place. There's no mistaking the horrible owner of the voice. She calls her like this since the day she transferred after all.

The school demon Akita Neru.

Rin quickly decided that she's _not_ going to stop in her tracks just to see what will most likely happen to her.

Without preamble, she immediately took off in a fast walk while still trying to balance her tray of food. Rin immediately noticed that most of the students stopped what they are doing to stare at the scene they're making. It just made her feel embarrassed. Whatever they'll do to her now, a whole lot of people will see and her brother will most likely hear about it.

She didn't dare look back to see how much Akita Neru and her group of friends are gaining on her, though judging by the yelps that she heard, any unfortunate students blocking the group's way are shoved aside violently. And the yelp sounds are getting closer.

"Why are you running away _Rinny?_ We just want to talk to you!" She called again. Rin almost snorted at the choice of words. She's pretty sure Neru's going to do a lot more than _talk._ Neru and her gang are her most frequent bullies, and frankly the worst ones in the school. They bother her for entertainment, not because she did something to anger them. She doesn't really understand what's so amusing about their constant torture, but she's not going to endure one now. Once she can slip away, they'll hopefully leave her alone...

Suddenly, a foot struck out in her direction and Rin tripped without warning. She let out a cry as she fell and immediately felt her hands and knees bang on the floor hard. To her horror, the food her brother bought flew from her hands. She watched as the food and the juice became air-born where it stayed there for two seconds before landing and spilling. On her head.

She immediately felt the cold, sticky liquid that smells like her beloved oranges soak her hair and back, getting her clothes ruined. Even the tonkatsu landed on her hair and slid down. The orange she was going to have for dessert suddenly landed in front of her and rolled to her lap, stopping as if mocking her fate.

At the mess she became, everyone in the hallway erupted in laughter. The loudest of them all is Neru and her cronies. Rin felt her eyes sting and her face burn from embarrassment. Why does this always happen to her? What did she ever do wrong?

Feeling her eyes starting to sting and water, Rin knew she has to get out of here. She isn't going to give them the pleasure of seeing her cry. Not now. Not _ever._

"Ha! Clumsy Rinny-chan! I thought after weeks of chasing you would be able to pose more of a challenge!" Neru sneered and the girls behind her all laughed like crazy. Maybe this is the sort of entertainment they're looking for when bullying. In that case, Rin just gave them a full show.

"What? Cat got your tongue Rinny? Never mind, I don't want to hear your screechy voice today anyways…" At that remark, Rin felt her hands slowly form into fists and her eyes glared at them hatefully, though the effect is ruined because of the blush still on her cheeks. If looks could kill, Neru would be in hell already.

Trying to ignore the taunt about her voice, she quickly scrambled to her feet. Immediately, she felt the tonkatsu slip off her hair entirely to land splattered on the ground. The crowd gave way to laughter again that made Rin want to wish that the ground could swallow her right there in extreme humiliation. Rin still felt the uncomfortable coldness and stickiness of the juice on her back and knew she has to go to the bathroom immediately lest this stains her white uniform. So with her face still burning and her dignity in pieces, she started to turn away to try getting away from their scrutinizing eyes. Key word: _Tried._

The moment she stepped away though, something collided with her legs yet again, resulting in her sprawling to the floor for the second time. She cried out in surprise and crashed, bruising and scraping her hands and knees on the floor. Laughter can be heard again and she suddenly felt something wet build up in her eyes. Rin sniffed and bit her lip, trying her best to avoid crying. She promised she won't cry in front of them. _She promised!_

Turning to look, Rin realized that the cursed foot that kept tripping her belonged to none other than the sadistic Sukone Tei herself, another member of Neru's gang. She's smirking down at her, not the slightest bit sorry. It's not surprising. Rin heard that she's a lot more violent than this. She's just going easy on her…

"Going somewhere, Kagami?" She grinned. Rin bit her lip to keep her eyes from forming tears. But somehow, they are really starting to build up…

" _STOP!_ What the fucking hell are you all _doing!?_ " A voice suddenly rose above the laughter, making the show come to a screeching halt. Rin stared wide eyed as a familiar young boy shoved his way in front of the crowd, his face the very epitome of extreme rage.

She flinched as he suddenly yelled with complete harshness and venom oozing out behind the words. "How could you bitches do this to her?! I thought this is a decent school, but then I see _dumbasses_ like you bullying someone? How could the teachers not do anything about this?!"

Rin stared wide-eyed as the crowd went silent, obviously scared of the fuming boy. He's still really familiar though, but Rin simply doesn't know anyone who would defend her at a time like this…

Suddenly, the boy turned and stalked towards her direction, his shoes making stomping noises and causing Rin to back away in fear. She immediately noticed the extremely furious bright blue eyes glaring straight at her…

Without thinking, she immediately reacted. Rin jumped and tried to run away. This boy is simply more frightening than Tei herself!

But either she didn't move fast enough, or the boy caught on her actions, because the next thing she knew, there are hands grabbing her.

"P-Please... let go… _please!_ " Rin whimpered and begged and tried to slip her hands free, but his grip is surprisingly strong. She really thought he's there to defend her, but really he's just finishing Neru and Tei's job all along.

"Look at her you _bastards!_ Because of what you assholes are doing she's traumatized!" Rin winced as more curse words were yelled and tried to shrink away and run, but the hand that held her is unyielding. She now felt the tears building up in her eyes, obscuring her vision and causing her to sniff. She only promised not to cry in front of Neru right? Maybe she can finally release the tears just this once…?

"Len-kun! It's not what you think! Rinny just tripped! We don't have anything to do with this at all. So if you'll just come with us, we'll make sure the girl will not bother you anymore." Neru smiled at him sweetly, though there's a hint of nervousness in her eyes. Even Tei is fidgeting, her face bright red.

"In case you didn't notice _Neru-san_ , I'm not fucking blind. I damn well saw what you clearly did so don't _fucking_ lie to my face!" The boy snarled, but Rin didn't notice any of those the moment she heard her rescuer's name.

Len? As in, _Kagamine_ Len?!

At the realization, she immediately went slack in his grip, causing the boy to suddenly turn around, his bright blue eyes meeting her terrified ones, though his is overflowing with worry. His trademark mini ponytail and blonde hair that is highly similar to Rin's whipped around at the movement. She froze when she finally saw him clearly. The very same boy Rinto always hangs out with. Kagamine Len, the famous transfer student.

The one guy Neru and Tei are both in love with.

The one guy they'll kill anyone to have, and Rin will probably be their first victim.

"K- _Kagamine_...!" Rin gasped in horror and immediately saw both Neru and Tei's eyes glaring at her so hatefully she's surprised she didn't burn up from the intensity. Realizing the danger she's in, she redoubled her efforts to get away from his grip. To her surprise, he immediately let go (probably out of shock) and Rin proceeded to run away from there, her tears now freely flowing. Ignoring her hungry stomach rumbling and the juice and stickiness that now clung to her back, she ran to find a suitable place to hide for a while, knowing that Neru and Tei will murder her if they ever get their hands on her-

" _Wait!_ "

Startled, Rin glanced back to see Kagamine chasing after her, looking both worried and confused. Seeing this, and knowing they'll kill her much more painfully than before, she forced her legs to run even faster.

"Don't come near! _Please!_ They'll kill me!" Rin cried out, hoping he'll understand. She's so sick of pain, and she doesn't want him to feel bad even though it'll partially be his fault that she'll be murdered soon… And it's not an exaggeration. She's absolutely sure that Tei and Neru are perfectly capable of murder. She's pretty sure they can get away with it too.

" _What?_ What are you talking about?! Hey, wait!" He yelled at her again when she dashed off to a corner. To her horror, she found herself suddenly trapped in a dead end. The only way out is behind her where Kagamine is catching up fast, or the stairs that leads to the rooftop, which is another dead end. Silently wishing he'll let it go, she took off running to the roof and proceeded to find a hiding place.

Rin just managed to slip between two air ducts when the door suddenly banged open and Kagamine came bursting out. She whimpered, trying her best to hide though she knows it's futile. Her hiding place is pretty obvious. Soon enough, he did notice her cowering form between the ducts and slowly headed towards her, face cautious and wary.

"Hey… Kagami Rin, right? Rinto's sister? Are you okay?" He asked and knelt down so they're eye level. She didn't bother asking him how he knew her name (maybe Rinto told him) and just cowered away from him. To her confusion, he looked a bit hurt. His voice suddenly softened, as if talking to a wounded dog. "Hey, don't worry. I'm not like those stupid girls. I won't hurt you or anything…"

Rin stared at him in bewilderment. Doesn't he realize their obsession with him? Doesn't he realize the danger of them finding the pair like this?

She tried to stammer out a few terrified words. "I… I know you won't. But _they_ will once they see us together." She tried to explain.

To her disappointment, Kagamine looked beyond confused at her words. Maybe he really doesn't notice their obsession with him. If so, that's good. She'd hate to see one of the nicer boys in the school to end up with someone like the demon pair.

Suddenly, Rin flinched when a cold drop of orange juice dripped from her hair and slithered down her back. Noticing her condition, Kagamine immediately searched through his pockets for a handkerchief, which he used to dab at a few droplets of juice on her hair.

"I'm really sorry, I should've come earlier. Instead, I just watched as they humiliated you. I'm so sorry…" He whispered as he continued to dab at the sticky mess. Rin's bright blue eyes suddenly met his with a confused look, causing him to jump.

"Why are you the one apologizing? It's not your fault. In fact, if it weren't for you I would still be in there getting laughed at…" Rin murmured the last part bitterly, knowing the truth behind those words. Tei would've never let her go. "Thank you very much, though I'm afraid you just postponed the inevitable. Pretty soon they'll go marching up in here getting angry because I ' _stole_ ' you from them or something…"

"What do you mean ' _stole me from them_ '?"

Rin sighed. "It means exactly what it means. Tei and Neru are obsessed with you and will do everything to remove possible threats. They even stalk you and everything. You really don't know?"

At Kagamine's shocked gaping face, it's clear that he really didn't. Rin smiled tiredly, "Obviously you didn't, so I forgive you. Though I'm not sure _they'll_ forgive _me_ from 'stealing' you from them, that's the reason why I'm running away from you."

Kagamine's still surprised and he started to open his mouth to ask something, but at that exact moment, voices began yelling from behind the rooftop door. Familiar voices calling with fake sweetness for Rin.

Rin let out an involuntary whimper at the sound and cowered even further between the two air ducts. Kagamine's eyes turned hard with anger and Rin winced. It looks like that glare is directed at her…

Suddenly, Kagamine placed his handkerchief on her hands and formed his lips into a kind smile. He proceeded to give her instructions. "Rin, after I leave, go to the bathroom immediately so you can clean yourself up. If you want to, you can skip classes and go home and I promise I'll cover for you. You don't have to worry about a thing, alright?"

"W-What?" Rin stammered, her eyes wide with unconcealed shock. She watched as Kagamine gave her one last grin before leaving. But to her shock, he suddenly broke into a run and cupped his hands over his mouth, yelling at the top of his lungs, "HEY WAIT! WHERE DID YOU GO!? DAMMIT!" He cursed and proceeded to burst through the door and dash back like the devil himself is right on his heels.

Startled squeals and screams suggested that he encountered Neru and the others before running back to the school building yelling like a maniac, the girls following him.

Rin sat frozen as the footsteps faded and echoed away, her mind still wrapping around what just happened.

Kagamine Len, the famous and talented transfer student with a wide vocabulary for expletives protected her from Neru and her gang and comforted her, proving just how kind he is. And instead of waiting for Neru and the others to catch them here together, he fooled them all by pretending he's still at her trail, leading Neru and the others away from where she is so she can escape.

Pure genius.

 _But why would he do that?_ Rin frowned as she scrambled back up and made her way back to the building as quickly and quietly as possible. She's nothing but a loser. Everyone hates her guts. She's not good enough. Not even good enough with singing which is this Academy's main course. Kagamine Len on the other hand is a good-looking and kind guy. A lot of girls have a crush on him and he's already famous in his first week here, whereas the moment Rin stepped foot onto this school she got humiliated and bullied.

_Why couldn't I be like him? We look so similar that he could be my brother instead of Rinto. Why did he get the good luck and I went to being a big loser?!_

Aware of the tears in her eyes, she frantically wiped them away with the back of her sleeve and proceeded to the bathroom, debating whether or not she'll follow Kagamine's advice and go home. But that just proves that she's a loser for not facing her problems head on.

Suddenly, her stomach rumbled and growled, making Rin wince and flush in embarrassment.

Speaking of which, she still hasn't eaten lunch yet... what would Rinto think of her spilling the food he bought her like that...?

...


	3. Unfinished Business

In the end, Rin ultimately decided that she won't skip school. She doesn't want to be mocked for her cowardice. Besides, Kagamine may have stopped Neru and Tei's torture for a while. Rin is sure they won't do anything while he is around.

Though Rin quickly realized her mistake, for the moment she stepped out of school grounds and proceeded to head home, did she immediately sense that someone is following her. And Kagamine isn't around to protect her anymore.

Her theory is quickly proven when she suddenly heard something that sounds like footsteps shuffling to hide behind a corner. Rin immediately went rigid, her whole body tense as a spring board and ready to run if ever they decided to show up.

The frightening thing is, no one appeared. That's when she realized that they're just waiting for the right moment and she needs to get out of there _fast._

But first, she needs to lead them away from her home. She doesn't want her family to worry!

With those thoughts, Rin forced her legs to keep walking casually, trying her best to look like she shook off the sound earlier. Though she _did_ quicken her pace. She doesn't know if she pulled it off, but Rin can still feel their eyes burning on her back.

No doubt it's Neru and her friends again… Maybe they'll torment her as revenge for what happened with Kagamine? But she didn't even do anything wrong! Kagamine's right, she should've gone home when she had the chance!

Suddenly, Rin caught a yellow blur at the corner of her eye and almost froze again, realizing that the blur now known as a furious Akita Neru is running straight towards her position, her stance set to tackle her to the ground.

"COME BACK HERE YOU TWO-FACED BLABBERING **BITCH!** " She screamed and suddenly brought out a huge metal pipe. Seeing this, and knowing that they're mad enough to beat her with _that_ , almost made her scream in fear. Rin immediately forced her legs to go into an abrupt run, which immediately caused her thin legs to strain from the action. She's not into sports, but she's pretty fast and nimble. But can that save her this time?

 _Wrong, Rin_. She told herself as she realized how fast Neru could run, speeding past a lot of stunned people as she zoned in to her position. Forcing her legs to run even faster than usual, she noticed that she can now see Neru's evil grinning face at this distance, which made her realize that Neru is gaining on her _fast._

Rin let out a highly frightened squeak and teared off into a corner, hoping against hope that they'll somehow give up because she's already panting so hard and there are black spots dancing across her eyes…

Suddenly, a blur of gray hair whipped past her vision before someone's fist collided hard on Rin's cheek and immediately sent her thin body sprawling to an alley. She screamed when she collapsed and hit her head on the ground _hard_. Rin immediately burst into tears once the pain registered on her mind. She felt the beginnings of an ugly bruise form on her cheek and warm blood began to flow steadily from the wound on the back of her head. Her eyes widened in horror at the amount of blood on her hands and clothes. She's never been beaten up before, and has never seen blood except for the times when she scraped her knees when she was young. To see so much blood forming a pool beneath her and scraped across the ground…!?

Are Neru and Tei going to kill her? Will she die alone and beaten beyond recognition? She knows Tei is a pretty violent person, but can she really resort to _killing someone_?!

"I know you're in there Rinny- _chaaaan_ ~! You can't get away from us~!" She clearly heard Tei call with a fake sweet voice that just promised revenge, but it sounded a bit far. Maybe she threw her far enough? If so, she's pretty strong…

Rin hastily got up, almost tripping over her own two feet when she saw the world swimming violently before her very eyes. Blood is still flowing steadily and she gasped hard. Trying to ignore the pain, she stumbled away from the scene, desperate to avoid those demons.

But even Rin knew that she can't get away with the kinds of injuries that she has. Already, she can feel the beginnings of unconsciousness that threatened to shut her mind down on this very moment. And she knew that the moment she succumbed to unconsciousness, she'll never wake again.

But the only thing she could see here that can be large enough to hide in is a disgusting dumpster.

Rin nearly teared up when she realized that that's the only option she has. If she ran anymore she'll faint. If she hid then maybe they'll assume that she ran somewhere else? There's a small possibility.

 _But why the dumpster?_ Her eyes are starting to overflow with tears. Is the bullying really this bad that she needs to go hide in one of the most disgusting places known to man? She'll have to endure the humiliation and shame if this gets out to the whole school and they'll just tease her even more and Kagamine will now have nothing to do with her because he'll just think that she really _is_ a loser!

"Oh Rinny- _chaaaan_ ~!"

Startled by the fact that Neru's voice sounded so close to her location now, Rin turned and climbed in the disgusting dumpster without hesitation, ignoring the god-awful smell that brought tears to her eyes and the dirt and grime and god knows what else clinging to her legs and hands and face. Her wounds would most likely get an infection and it'll probably result in her death. But at least it's quick that what Neru has planned. She whimpered at her own personal hell, wishing that Neru will just go and search somewhere else. Wishing that she'll just leave her _alone_!

"Ohhh~? Where did you go Rinny-chan? Why didn't you wait for us?"

Rin gripped her hair in fistfuls as she silently prayed, ' _please leave, please leave, PLEASE LEAVE_!'

"Hmm… let's split up Tei. You go that way, I'll take this way."

At Neru's command, footsteps started to run away from her location, making Rin sigh in relief, until she heard Neru's amused voice.

"Well… I guess I'll just stay here until Tei comes back. After all, it's not like Rinny-chan is hiding _in this dumpster_." By the tone of Neru's voice, it's obvious that she's grinning wildly. Rin's eyes widened in horror when steady but confident footsteps started to get closer and closer to the dumpster. Rin bit her lip hard, her wide frightened eyes dreading the moment when Neru will open the dumpster and see Rin hiding there like a pathetic, sniveling coward.

But to her extreme surprise and horror, Rin heard the distinct sound of someone sitting on something metal and almost cried when she realized what happened.

_NERU SAT ON THE DUMPSTER!_

Rin sobbed violently when she quickly figured out that she won't be getting home soon and she'll be stuck here in the trash until Neru decided to move. She knows she's not lucky enough to have someone rescue her for the second time…

_Kagamine's not here. And he won't ever be. He's not always there like a guardian angel to save me from everything._

_But…_ Rin's eyes widened. _Rinto can!_

Rin quickly fished her phone out of her pocket and proceeded to dial her brother's number, no longer caring if Neru heard her. She's pretty sure Neru knows she's in there anyway. Neru wouldn't sit on a dumpster for no reason! Besides, the awful smell is starting the make her feel really queasy and involuntary tears are starting to flow down her dirty and grime-filled bruised cheeks…

- _"Hello, Rin-chan?"_ -

She almost cried again when she heard his perfectly normal, cheerful voice, like everything is just fine with the world.

Except it's not.

-"O-Onii-chan… Help me.. _Please_..!"- Rin noticed that her words had slurred together and that her vision is starting to get dim. The horrible disgusting smell is starting to fill her mind…

- _"Rin?! What's wrong?! Why do you sound so... weak?"_ -

"I-I'm trapped in a… dumpster.. I sa.. I mean Neru, she sat on it and I c..can't get out myself…" Rin fought hard to stay awake, but the dizziness is starting to take over. "I-I'm so _dizzy_ …"

- _"Rin! Tell me where you are! RIN!"_ -

She murmured to him the location, fighting extremely hard to stay awake. She trusts Rinto to get here on time. He won't leave her to die here. _He won't_!

Suddenly, she felt something brush past her leg and had to stifle a scream when she realized what it is…

- _"RIN, KEEP TALKING! I'LL FIND YOU!"_ -

She can hear his end of the line with a lot of car and street noises, and he's panting very hard like he's running like crazy.

But she didn't want to worry him this bad…

"Onii… c-chan.. I'll… I'll be alright, d-don't worry about me!" Rin tried her best not to stutter and slur, but her tongue felt so heavy and her head _hurts_!

- _"RIN!"_ \- Rinto's voice yelled, and she noticed his tone sounds like he's choking back a sob. – _"Why do you always let them do this to you? Why won't you fight back? Rin, they're_ killing _you!"_ -

To this, she has no answer. Why _does_ she let herself get bullied like this? It's not like she did anything wrong to deserve this…

Rin suddenly heard Neru humming happily above, her voice beautiful in a cold, cruel way. Her face drained of color when Neru started banging her metal pipe hard on the dumpster cover in time with the beat, the screeching metal making Rin wince and flinch when her ears started hurting…

_

Rinny... Rinny… two-faced bitch~

Sucking up to Len like a big ugly leech!

Maybe she crawled here to hide…

Maybe she already DIED!

Rinny... Rinny… two-faced bitch~

Ran like a coward, like a little snitch.

_

A coward and a suck-up. That's what she is. And Neru's right, she'll die here pretty soon. She just wonders what will finish her off first, her head wound, the infection when it starts to spread in her body, the bacteria in the dumpster itself, or Neru when she finally gets impatient?

Something brushed against her again and this time, it's on her arm. Rin gasped and tried to scramble away but too late, glowing red eyes suddenly pierced her own blue ones in the dark as a very _large_ rodent appeared right in front of her horrified face.

Rin immediately let out a blood-curdling scream that startled Neru so bad she jumped and landed on the dumpster again, rocking it with her weight. The rat jumped too and frantically scurried off… towards her face.

Rin screamed again and flailed, sobbing and crying so desperately she's surprised no one's heard yet.

She was oblivious to her brother's repeated attempts to call her.

- _"RIN! WHAT'S HAPPENING TO YOU!?_ RIN! _ANSWER ME, DAMMIT!"_ -

Rin never heard his pleas though, because at that moment, she felt the tell-tale signs of sharp claws on her cheeks and forehead scratch like crazy, resulting in her screaming and jumping back from the pain, but there isn't enough room so she just ended up bumping her head on the roof of the dumpster. The wounds _stings!_

"HELP ME PLEASE!" Rin screamed and banged at the walls of the dumpster. She vaguely heard Neru answer back with a bang of her own metal pipe. _"Keep it down, will you?! Or the people will know and I'll be in big trouble!"_ She hissed harshly.

"PLEASE, ANYBODY!" She cried out desperately, trying to ignore Neru's venomous hisses and bangs.

She finally felt the horrible rat leave but the dirt and grime and the smell is still there and if she's not let out soon she'll probably get sick all over herself and the thought just made her cry a bit more.

But a highly familiar voice immediately cut off her attempts to scream, filling her heart with hope even as unconsciousness started to claim her.

" _Neru-san…_ why exactly is that dumpster you're sitting on kicking and screaming like crazy?"

Rin wondered vaguely if maybe it is her brother coming for her rescue!

"Oh! This... This isn't what it looks like!" She heard Neru's voice stutter but she doesn't sound like she's angry. More like terrified.

But Rin guessed her rescuer is not amused because of the harsh tone that followed. Vaguely, her mind wrapped around the fact that this voice used expletives… and she knew her brother hasn't cursed even once in his life. "Look, for the second time, I'm not _fucking_ blind. I know that you're trapping someone in there. Probably a girl judging by her voice. Don't you have a sense of shame trapping someone in a fucking _dumpster_?!"

"Well it's not _my_ fault she's there in the first place." Neru retorted.

"You sadistic little shit! You probably caused it anyways!" The other voice snapped back, though Rin is getting quite dizzy and nauseous right now that she could barely hear and follow their conversation. "Let her go _Neru_."

Neru's voice is smug though. "Make me."

Before she knew it, Neru screamed and there's a sound of flesh meeting flesh, before she heard something collide with a pile of plastic and metal. But Rin failed to fully contemplate on it when the dumpster cover suddenly opened, letting in the fresh air and taking all awful smell away from her. Strong arms suddenly wrapped around her body and started to lift her up, though she's too weak to protest. Unconsciousness began to seep on the edges of her mind and the last thing Rin saw were a pair of bright blue worried eyes before she welcomed a world without pain...

…

_"RIN!"_


	4. Yamaha Medical Hospital

Kagami Rinto stared dumbly at the scene, his expression frantic and confused as heck. He slowly took everything in: The splatters of blood on the ground, the metal pipe lying close to the dumpster, the dumpster open with its contents scattered all around, filling the alley with a horrible smell, the pile of trash bags ripped apart in the corner, and a girl lying unconscious on top of said trash bags.

Upon closer inspection, the girl is revealed to be none other than the thorn of his sister's side, Akita Neru. She's clearly unconscious with a gash on her forehead and a bruise forming on her arm. Not that Rinto is feeling even the slightest bit sorry for her. That brat deserved more. Especially when Rinto found out that the stupid girl trapped his innocent sister inside that god-forsaken dumpster.

Rinto couldn't imagine how his sister felt in that ordeal. He's standing a few feet away and already he can smell the stench of that dumpster. He'll probably get sick if he went nearer.

But something keeps bugging him, cause no matter how much Rinto looked around, there's still one person missing from the scene.

_Where's Rin?!_

Running out of options, (what do you think of him? A detective?!) Rinto debated on waking Neru up. She might give him a clue, but he's pretty pissed off at her right now. He might end up strangling her to death if she annoyed him.

But Rinto wanted to beat her up so bad… He glared at her form and stomped towards it, thinking that just one kick wouldn't hurt…

Suddenly his phone rang, causing him to jump and hastily pick it up. _Maybe it's Rin!_

"RIN! IS THAT YOU!?" Rinto yelled at his phone, causing a slight yelp at the other end of the line. He quickly frowned, cause the owner of that voice is definitely _not_ his sister.

 _-"Oh great. Thanks for busting my eardrums Rinto."-_ A familiar grumpy voice said, and Rinto immediately flushed a bit, remembering that he forgot to check the caller ID in his haste. "Oh… It's you. Look Len, I'm a bit busy right now-"

 _-"…Looking for Rin, right?"-_ Len cut him off. _-"Yeah, I know. She's actually here with me…"-_

"RIN'S WITH YOU!?" Rinto all but exploded, causing another yelp from Len. "Tell me! Is she alright?! What the hell happened?! Anything I need to do while I'm still here staring at Neru?!"

_-"Yeah. Kick that Neru's ass for me while you're there, because Rin is not alright. From what my sister said, she has a concussion and her wounds are infected from being inside that goddamn dumpster. She also has a huge bruise on her cheek though I'm not sure what caused it. Onee-san told us that we have to bring her to the hospital ASAP cause we're not exactly doctors here. We're in the car right now."-_

"Lenka's with you?" At Len's confirmation, he breathed a sigh of relief. His girlfriend would know what to do. She's responsible that way. "Alright, I'll meet you at the hospital. Name?"

_-"Yamaha Medical Hospital. And hurry!"-_

"I'll come as soon as possible." Rinto confirmed, his tone deadly serious. After ending the call, he turned to glare at Neru's injured form that Len no doubt caused. No one hurts his little sister without suffering the consequences.

He knelt down beside her, studying her face. Heh, the brat actually looked innocent when unconscious! But when she's awake, she's a full-fledged demon set to hurt innocent and kind people like his sister.

"You're a fool to think I'll let you get away with this _Akita Neru_." He murmured, his bright blue eyes cold and unforgiving. He never felt this _angry_ at someone before. No one ever offended him because of his easy-going personality, but now he's furious as hell. "My sister never did anything to you. She's always been kind and has an innocence of a child. She's never even hurt a fly in her whole life. Then suddenly you come waltzing along and torturing her just for _fun?!_ " He breathed deep and hissed the words he never uttered in his whole life before. He felt powerful just saying it, even just this once: "You are a sick, sadistic, _bitch_ Neru. You and your whole fucking gang. Assholes like you don't deserve to live like queens in this world. I wish you won't ever have children of your own. We don't need any more little bitches and bastards like you running around hurting other people." He exhaled, feeling a huge weight lift off his chest. It felt so good to say those words. She deserved it anyway.

And now for the grand finale…

…

A satisfied Rinto left the alley to head straight for the hospital, leaving an unconscious, beaten, and bruised up Neru trapped inside the closed dumpster with huge rodents for a horrified Sukone Tei to find later.

All for his sister.

**~oOo~**

_"Rinto!"_ Lenka cried when her boyfriend all but flew into his sister's hospital room, completely freaking out the two Kagamines and the doctor. Not minding the stares, he immediately headed straight for Rin's bed, worried beyond belief. "How is she doctor?"

Amazingly, the doctor quickly regained his composure, no doubt used to these kinds of things. "I assume you're the brother they told me about. Don't worry, your sister is out of danger. They were able to get her here before she lost too much blood from her head wound, but her condition didn't improve much because of the amount of infections her wounds has. We're working hard to treat her as quickly as possible. She also has a concussion and her bruise seems to have been caused by a punch (I've seen enough of those to know that). Though it's not my place to ask, what exactly happened to her that she arrived here looking like she just, excuse me, slept in a trash heap?"

Both Len and Lenka turned to look at him for an answer, which he replied truthfully. He wants the whole world to know just how much his kind sister has been suffering lately when she didn't even do anything to deserve it. "A bully did this to her. They injured her and then trapped her in a stupid dumpster. If she hadn't called me and if Len hadn't rescued her she would still be in there dying!" He held back a sob as he reached out to hold Rin's small hand gently. "She didn't even deserve it. Rin's sweet and kind and frail…"

The doctor nodded in understanding, satisfied with the answer. He talked a bit more before leaving, telling them to call him when Rin wakes up. No one paid attention to his departure though, all attention is focused on the girl on the bed.

"She looks so fragile." Lenka whispered. "How could anyone bully an angel like her?"

No one has an answer, though Rinto frowned. "She told me they hate her voice, but I don't know what they're yapping about. Her voice is fine! Better than mine, in fact!"

"The first time I saw her getting bullied is in lunch earlier this day." Len murmured, quietly contributing to the discussion. "Those girls were _cruel_ to her. They embarrassed her by causing her lunch to fall all over her head…"

"The one I bought her?" Rinto looked shocked. He didn't know! How could he not know?!

Len shrugged before continuing. "I told her to go home after that, but I guess she refused because I found her later that day in our class. Neru probably ambushed her after school, but she fortunately selected a route close to my house. I spotted Neru sitting and banging on a dumpster. She's whispering to something, even though no one's there. That's when I heard it: The screaming. It's horrible, and it's coming from inside the dumpster. When I demanded an answer about it, she denied that anyone's in there. Someone screamed again, and that's where I threw Neru to those garbage bags to get her out of the way. I had a vague suspicion, but when I saw who was in there I nearly turned around to beat up Neru again. Rin was lying there unconscious Rinto! She looked really bad, her wounds are more prominent and the blood is leaking out, staining the trash. I even spotted a rat near her foot!" Len gritted her teeth. "I quickly carried her out of there and went home, though I have no idea what to do. Good thing onee-san's there, because she quickly took care of the situation and brought Rin to the hospital, which brings us to here." Len sighed. "I'm sorry I wasn't able to do more. If I didn't stall on my way home I would have saved Rin before all of that happened!"

"No Len, stop. Can you see the future? Cause if you can, you can go blaming yourself all you want." Rinto stared hard at him. "You did more than enough. Because of you, Rin is still alive. And I can't tell you how thankful I am." Rinto glanced again at Rin's direction, eyes sad. "I guess I have to pull her out of the school. I can't allow her to stay there after everything that happened..."

 _"NO!"_ Both Rinto and Lenka jumped when Len yelled like mad. Len immediately flushed and cleared his throat. "Uh, I mean… sure it's bad… but maybe if she has some friends they wouldn't bother her that much?"

"No one wants to be friends with Rin because they're all afraid of Neru." Rinto reminded him.

" _I_ can be her friend!" Len blurted out, causing his sister to stare at him like a flower just sprouted on his forehead.

"You what?" Rinto blinked.

"Look, I'm friends with you. And if Rin really is your sister then we will definitely get along well. Plus, she's in most of my classes. I can protect her then." Len is madly digging up things that may convince Rinto. He doesn't know why, but he knows he's got to get Rin to stay. There's just _something_ about her that makes him so protective…

"Len, you can't always be there for her." Rinto looked at him sadly. "Once they see that she's alone, it will just continue like nothing happened. I have to get her out of that school."

"But won't you consider how she feels?" Len is quickly running out of ideas. "I mean, what if she still likes it in that school?"

"Rin couldn't possibly like it in that school anymore!" Rinto looked horrified at the idea.

"Len, what's going on?" Lenka looked concerned at her little brother, but Len simply shot her a look.

"Look Rinto… I really, _truly_ , want to be her friend. You know me. I won't abandon her like that. Besides, Neru wouldn't dare cross me." Len looked smug. "After all, they have a crush on me. They'll be terrified if I suddenly got angry at them." He didn't mention the fact that he wouldn't know about that at all if Rin hadn't told him.

"You just realized that now?" Both girlfriend and boyfriend raised an eyebrow at him, to which he blushed furiously. "Of course not! I've known since first day!"

Both snorted. "Yeah right."

"Forget it." Len muttered, his face still red. Rinto and Lenka both snickered at his embarrassment.

"Okay, you got a point Len. But what if she does get left alone? She needs more friends that wouldn't abandon her the moment Neru steps around the corner. Preferably a girl too."

"Why? What's wrong with me being a boy?" Len asked in irritation.

"Nothing! I know you'll take good care of her, but unless you can accompany her in girly things like bathrooms, then I wouldn't even suggest this." Rinto said, and Len quickly saw his point. Major disadvantage right there.

"I could be her friend, but I can't always be there all the time." Lenka muttered unhappily.

"It's okay, I don't blame you. We're classmates after all. I can't be with Rin too." Rinto said sadly. "If you can find Rin a girl friend, we're okay!"

But Len is mentally faced with a dilemma now. Who could actually agree to be Rin's friend? Someone who's not afraid of Neru and her goons?

He voiced such a question to the two, who frowned. "Someone who's not afraid of Neru? Difficult…" Rinto muttered.

"No it's not!" Lenka suddenly said, and you can almost see the invisible lightbulb flashing above her head. "The only ones who aren't afraid are the Crypton Vocaloids!"

"The _Cryptons?!_ Are you serious? Those famous guys wouldn't give my precious Rin a second glance!" Rinto said incredulously.

"Not unless you join their group. They care for each other a great deal. Once you're inside… BAM! Instant protection." Lenka grinned widely, confident that her plan would work.

"But how would Rin join their group?" Len asked her. "I know they send out requests once in a while… but it's not likely that they'll send Rin an invitation too."

"I was about to tell you! Gosh, impatient guys…" Lenka muttered under her breath, and Len could almost see the sweat drop forming on Rinto's head. "Don't you know that the Cryptons send out auditions every now and then? For those Vocaloids that may yet to show some incredible talent?"

 _"Really!?"_ Len's eyes bulged out. Lenka nodded. "So if Rin could pass that audition, she can have instant protection?"

"Yep! And turns out, you don't need to attend the audition yourself because the Cryptons already sent you an invitation (which you refused by the way). All you have to do is accept it and you're in."

Len's mind is now whirring with possibilities. "So all I have to do is protect Rin from those damn bullies until she can pass the auditions? Then I can join the Crypton Vocaloids so then we'll both be in the group! Then she can stay in the school!"

"Of course, if you join the Cryptons you'll have to quit the pop singers group." Rinto informed him. "But no worries, the Cryptons are guaranteed to be the best group around. Better than the pop singers in fact."

"Then we'll do it!" Len grinned and pumped his fist in the air. "Rin will stay in the school!"

But the two older teens stared at him. "Why _do_ you want her to stay so bad Len?"

Len responded with a furious blush that made the two exchange knowing looks.

No one noticed Rin stir slightly at their noise.


	5. Cryptons, to the Rescue!

It's been two days since the incident, and Kagamine Len is stunned when he entered his first class and found Rin sitting silently in the corner, the bruise still on her pale cheek. He knows she's been discharged from the hospital, but to go to school immediately is both brave and stupid. Who knows what else Neru has in store for her?

So Len found himself marching straight towards her seat, aware that he's making a scene judging by the stares he managed to gather. Soon enough, Rin did notice his approach, her eyes wide in confusion until he finally reached her. _"What are you doing here?"_ He hissed.

"W-What?" Rin stammered, obviously scared.

 _"Why_ did you come to school today? Didn't you realize that Neru might be planning something again?!"

"K-K-Kagamine…" Her mouth trembled. Len noticed that she's trying to subtly move away, and greatly failing. "I-I… I just thought… y-you see…"

He then abruptly realized that he's scaring the crap out of her, so he slumped to the seat next to her with a defeated sigh. "I'm sorry for being angry, but this is still an incredibly stupid thing to do. What's your excuse?" He knows he's acting a bit harsh, but this is for Rin's own good! What did Rinto do to prevent this anyway?!

Rin bit her lip in a terrible attempt to stop it from quivering, but it's plain as day that she's terrified of him. Her eyes kept darting from his face, her desk, and the people surrounding them, as if afraid that she'll be humiliated again.

Oh wait, that _does_ seem like the case here…

Cursing himself for being so stupid, Len turned to the crowd who are eagerly watching them, probably waiting for some variation of **'Humiliate Rin Show! Starring Kagamine Len'.** He felt so sick seeing these people watching instead of helping. He wouldn't even mind if someone yelled at him, just so he could see someone defending Rin for once.

They're all a bunch of cowards.

"What are you all looking at?!" He yelled, his sudden glare freezing a lot of people. "Have you got nothing better to do other than watch two people talk!?"

A moment later, no one's watching them anymore. Len smiled in satisfaction and turned to Rin again, who looked like she desperately doesn't want to be here. "Rin, I'm not scaring you. I'm not bullying you either. I just want to know why you came to school today when you're still recovering!"

Rin finally stopped trembling, her eyes wide in understanding, though she still looked slightly shaken. "I-I'm sorry Kagamine-kun… I know that, but I still want to go to school. I've wasted enough time in the hospital as it is. I'm sorry for worrying you…" Rin suddenly bowed in apology, which is a hard thing to do when sitting. The abruptness made Len stammer in surprise and a whole bunch of whispering to erupt in class. Rin didn't notice either and continued, "Onii-chan _did_ try to stop me, but I managed to convince him."

Len sighed again, quickly realizing that Rin's a stubborn girl. He scratched the back of his head awkwardly, "Ahh… nothing we could do about it now. Just stay close to me today, alright?" He muttered.

"Stay close to you? Why?" She asked, her expression genuinely puzzled. Len simply stared at her, not getting why she didn't know about their plan.

Unless Rinto planned to leave the explaining to him.

Len groaned at the realization and proceeded to curse stupid Rinto in his mind. Guess he has to do this the old-fashioned way…

"Rin…" He started, feeling embarrassed all of a sudden. "You know about the fact that Neru and the others have a… a _'crush'_ on me, right?"

Rin slowly nodded, still not getting it. Len continued, "So I thought about it… and maybe if you started hanging out with me they'll leave you alone?"

Len watched as Rin's already wide eyes widened even further in surprise. She shook her head vehemently, confusing him. "No! I'll only be a burden to you… besides, they won't leave me alone even if you're with me… I just know it." She mumbled quietly, obviously resigned to her fate. Len frowned, "Well then I'll make sure they won't bother you!" He declared confidently. "And we both know I can do it!"

Rin blinked in surprise as Len suddenly flashed her a peace sign. Gone was his irritation earlier. Now he just looked like a little kid. "So what do you say Rin? Friends?"

Rin froze. The word echoed around her brain, filling her with confusion, hesitation, suspicion… and oddly enough, pure joy. "Y-You mean it?" She asked hesitantly. Len nodded eagerly, but she's still wary. Where did this offer come from? Rin wouldn't put it past Neru to hire Len to pretend to be her friend. "I… I'm sorry, but this is just too abrupt." She shot him a look, and Len suddenly felt like he was being x-rayed. _Good lord, when she feels like it she looks terrifying too!_ "How do I know you don't plan to do anything to me? How do I know you're not a part of Neru's scheme?"

Len did _not_ expect the accusations, but he supposed she has a right to be suspicious. He would too if someone suddenly offered to be friends when he's in the middle of a bullying spree. "I promise I'm _not_ a part of that bitch's plans. I would die before I side with her. You can ask your brother if you don't believe me." Len told her fiercely.

She just continued to stare at him, obviously judging his sincerity. Len just hopes she decides to trust him…

He resolved to try his luck one more time, "Rin… I really.. truly.. _genuinely,_ want to be friends with you. Even before that fiasco in lunch. In fact, I was just about to ask you before that whole thing happened. I want to help you too, so don't you think this is perfect timing?" Len grinned. "You got a friend, _plus_ protection!"

Rin gazed at him with fearful eyes, as if pleading with him and everything he's saying to _please_ be true. Finally, she inhaled deeply and nodded. "O-Okay… I just hope you don't trick me anytime soon Kagamine…" She said that last sentence under her breath, and Len was suddenly pressured not to accidentally break that extremely feeble trust, because that would be _disastrous._

"B-But…" Len looked at her again, urging her to continue. "But you're only doing this because you pity me… right?" She mumbled sadly. Len started in surprise and quickly dug into his mind for an appropriate response. _Rin doesn't want to be pitied,_ Len repeated in his mind. _Don't say anything stupid!_

"Rin," He said seriously, all the while choosing his words carefully, cause Rinto will absolutely _murder_ him if he said something that might upset Rin. "I know you're going through a hard time right now. While I _do_ pity you…" He winced internally at his choice of words when Rin suddenly resembled a kicked puppy, "I... I also want to protect you." _God, why is it this hard?! Now Rin looks like she's about to cry because of his stupidity…_ "I want to be friends with you before I found out that you're being bullied because..." Len almost smiled when he saw Rin, her look filled with something that resembles hope. "because… because I find you interesting okay!?" He blurted out that last part with his eyes shut tight. He already ran out of things to say. That last part made him sound so cheesy!

Silence filled the room, Len wincing when he almost heard his words echoing. Rin looked frozen and looked like she won't say anything anytime soon, but a slow clap suddenly interrupted and caused them to jump in surprise. Len looked around wildly for the source, but now the clap is followed by another, then another, until the room is bustling with applause. Some are even dabbing at fake tears. Someone also whistled, making both Rin and Len blush madly. He didn't even realize that everyone's watching and listening to them!

"This looks just like a TV drama!" Someone sniffed theatrically, who Len then realized is Rin's brother, Rinto. Len's sister's also there with him, clapping enthusiastically.

"Go Len! You're the man!" Someone yelled, and now the room is filled with praises to Len's bravery and 'manliness'. Some even talked to Rin, getting over their fear of being bullied by Neru. Len gaped at them, was his speech really this touching and dramatic?!

"You're a really good guy Kagamine…" Someone suddenly whispered, and Len whipped his head around to see Rin smiling at him shyly. Len's eyes widened. "R-Rin…"

"Thank you." She whispered.

Lenka later told him that his face looked like a bright red, stuttering tomato in that moment, and that Rinto took pictures for blackmail.

And thus started the first day of friendship for both Kagamine Len and Kagami Rin.

**

…

**

"So now that it's lunch, you're sitting with the pop singers. And 'no' is _not_ an option!" Len added when Rin looked like she was about to protest. She closed her mouth and mumbled, "But the last time I was there, it became a food fight…"

Len raised his eyebrows in surprise, before shrugging nonchalantly. "If ever there's another one, I'll protect you." Len grinned at her and gave her a thumbs up. "Don't worry, I'm awesome at food fights!"

Rin giggled at Len's declaration, feeling completely at ease with him now. Earlier that day she was extremely cautious and wary. She doesn't want to be tricked at a fake friendship and be humiliated again. And if he really is genuine with what he's saying, then he won't mind a little interrogation.

But Rin later realized that Kagamine's not actually a bad guy. He looked incredibly sincere. He even shouted that he's interested at her for all the world to hear. No one would go that far for a fake friendship, unless it's not actually _'fake'._

So Rin decided to trust him, and so far, he hasn't let her down. He always tagged along with her and spoke to her in all of their classes. He's so fun and easy to talk to that she found herself enjoying his company. But that's just the first few hours… soon he'll realize that she's nothing but boring and then he'll leave her like everyone else. It's probably best that she savored this friendship before he changes his mind.

They both started entering the cafeteria, but quickly froze when they both noticed that the whole room suddenly went silent, all their heads turning and craning to look at them. Even the Cryptons are staring! Rin found herself unconsciously hiding behind Kagamine in fear, their stares making her feel extremely uncomfortable.

Kagamine looked shocked as well, obviously not expecting this. He glanced at her sheepishly and muttered, "Gah… I think rumors spread like wildfire in this school. Sorry about that Rin…"

"I-It's okay…" She mumbled, her hand clutching the back of his uniform nervously, "I'm just.. not used to this kind of attention…"

But the silence is broken when a hand suddenly appeared and waved above all the staring students. _"Oyyy!_ Leeen! Riiin! Come sit here with us!" The crowd parted in surprise to reveal Rinto who's grinning like a madman, with a highly embarrassed Lenka trying to tug at his sleeve to make him sit back down. Rin knew her older brother is carefree and a bit crazy, but this is just a bit too far.

Len grinned at her reassuringly, "Let's go Rin, before your crazy brother embarrasses himself even further. I swear, you're more level-headed than he'll ever be…" Rin thought she heard him mutter that last part, and can't help but crack a smile.

"Okay..." She tugged at his sleeve and they waded through the crowd, Len purposely stepping on people's feet to express how irritated he really is at the attention. _"Seriously, is befriending Rin such a big deal in this crazy school?!"_ Len grumbled, all the while holding Rin's hand who seemed about to die from embarrassment.

Finally, they reached Rinto's table and Len collapsed on a chair wearily. The pop singer members greeted the two, but the whole table is still aware of all the stares burning in their backs. Soon enough, the crowd finally stopped staring and slowly resumed their chatter, eliciting sighs of relief by the whole group. The moment they looked like they completely stopped paying attention did Len turn and glare at Rinto. "You certainly did _not_ help, idiot."

"Aww come on, if it weren't for me, the ice would never have been broken!" Rinto is still grinning like crazy and Len fought the urge to hit him upside the head. _Maybe he came out the wrong way when he was born. It would certainly explain his attitude._ Len groaned internally.

"Nii-chan…" Rin moaned helplessly, and shot Len a _'it's not my fault he's like this'_ look. Rinto is still obliviously laughing and Lenka's continuously hitting his shoulder. Len almost felt sorry for his sister, but it's still her fault for choosing a boyfriend as crazy as that guy.

"I don't suppose you're the one that spread the rumors about us?" Len raised an eyebrow at him threateningly. Rinto only grinned, "It's not me, honest! But really, it's your fault for making such a scene. You're only trying to be friends with Rin, not shoot a drama in the school!"

Len's eyelid twitched. "Stop me Rin, I'm gonna pummel this idiot!"

Rin, being obedient, quickly grabbed both Len's arms as tightly as she could. Len gasped, "Ow! Loosen the hold, I'm just joking!"

Rin immediately released him, her face embarrassed, "Oh… I'm sorry…"

They both didn't notice Rinto and Lenka glance at each other knowingly and high-fiving under the table.

"But I'm a bit nervous…" Rin suddenly said, "Neru is sure to have heard the rumors by now. Where _is_ she?"

"Gah! Don't jinx it Rin!" Len frantically waved his hands. "If you do, they might come!"

Suddenly, someone stopped by their table, causing everyone to stare at the newcomer. And guess what? It's Neru and her whole gang. They vaguely heard Len groan in defeat, all the while mumbling under his breath if they're psychic. Len then vaguely noticed that Neru looked different. She has a lot of bandages and band-aids around her body, like someone beat her up, but it just made her look all the more terrifying with that bad girl vibe. Len felt Rin tremble beside him, obviously intimidated by Neru. He immediately found and squeezed her hand reassuringly before fixing the group with his steely glare. The whole table immediately followed suit. Neru seemed oblivious to the glares though, and turned to face Rin. "I see you've managed to get a _'savior'_ Rinny-chan. Too bad he won't last that long."

"W-What do you mean?" Rin asked hesitantly. Len squeezed her hand again to avoid her answering, knowing that it'll just make everything worse.

Neru only smirked. "Do you really think he'll waste his time for a useless girl like you? I mean, who would? You're just an ugly leech trying to use your sorry state to cling on people. You don't even have the talent to be in this school. Maybe they let you in out of pity, though I don't really understand. Your voice is too high and screechy to be considered a voice. Frankly, you're better off in a _dump."_ She emphasized the last word, making Rin tremble again at the reminder of that horrible dumpster. "These people don't even care about you! They only let you sit with them because you're with the famous Kagamine Len and they don't want to be on his bad side."

Even though Len hates to admit it, his traitorous mind vaguely wondered if what Neru said was true. Maybe other people just wants to get close to Rin because of his reputation. If so, then he's probably endangering her more than helping her…

He vaguely felt Rin trembling violently beside him, her eyes are darting around the table, as if trying to find out if what Neru is saying is true. Rinto and Lenka are obviously shaking their heads, but Len knew Rin didn't really notice it. Neru's words are slowly affecting her, just like she knew it would.

Neru smiled when she noticed the effect it had with everyone. She decided to deliver the final blow, and stressed each word, all the while standing confidently. "You. Are. _Nothing."_

Having had enough, Len stood up in a rage, ready to give Neru a piece of his mind. Rinto got up too, his face set in a snarl. But about the same time he did, someone tapped Neru on the shoulder.

"If I were you Neru-san, I would just go along and finish my lunch. You should stop bothering the pretty girl if you know what's good for you." A highly familiar voice said, its tone deceptively cheerful. Neru's eyes abruptly widened and she whipped around, revealing a smiling Kaito Shion to the whole group. Neru gaped awkwardly like a fish as Kaito's intense gaze burned right through her. As for the rest of the students, it's their first time seeing the heartthrob Kaito Shion in a serious light and they're all eager to see what happens next.

"K-K- _Kaito!"_ Neru stuttered, shocked to see one of the school's idols standing right in front of her. A brown-haired girl suddenly stepped forward beside Kaito, her expression fierce.

"For the first time _Bakaito,_ I completely agree with you." The brown-haired girl known as the tough Sakine Meiko sighed heavily, as if agreeing with Kaito is a terribly difficult thing to do. She smirked and cracked her knuckles confidently, the horribly loud sound immediately sending goosebumps through all the students' skins. "I'm _sooo_ gonna enjoy beating you up for bullying a harmless girl."

"No need for violence Meiko." A bored voice said behind the brown-haired girl. The owner stepped forward also, her pink hair a clear sign of who she is. "Though if we ever see you bullying the little girl over there again, I will personally make sure that your future careers would flop before it even started." Megurine Luka grinned evilly, her completely serious and scheming expression almost making her much scarier than Meiko.

Neru is visibly shaking in her shoes now, too frightened to do a face-off with the most famous students in the school. Even _she's_ not foolish enough to not know that anyone who gets into a fight with the Cryptons is dead meat. "I-I'm sor-sorry!" She blurted out. Kaito sighed, his expression extremely disappointed. "It's not us you should be sorry to," He nodded towards Rin, who is gazing in wonder at the scene. "It's the pretty girl." He smiled gently at her, causing Rin to blush and for Len to glare at him.

Neru suddenly flashed him a look, as if to say _'are you crazy?!',_ but another look from the three Cryptons shut her up. Her eyes frantically darted around, unsure what she's going to do.

Suddenly, her glare snapped into place. She fixed Rin with a look that could kill hundreds, causing Rin to almost bolt from her seat. Len snarled at her, desperately trying to shield Rin from her gaze. _Is it really that hard to apologize?!_

Another crack from Meiko's knuckles finally got to her. Neru froze like a statue and gritted her teeth, forcing out the words. "I-I-I… _I'm_.. s-s-so-sor- _sorry..!"_ She practically hissed, not sounding so sorry at all. She then turned and bolted out of the room, her minions who are practically scared out of their wit's end trailing behind her like tails. Len stared after them incredulously, wondering how much it took Neru to say those words. She basically stuttered through the whole thing!

" _Mi_ ~ku! Ga~ _ku_ ~po!" Kaito dragged out the names, his head turning to face a teal-haired girl standing just behind them. There's also a purple-haired man watching the scene coolly, but both of them are not moving an inch. "Why didn't you help us get rid of those girls?"

"We figured you guys did a pretty good job already." The most famous girl in the school, Hatsune Miku, grinned. "I don't want to steal your moment."

"It would also be a bit overwhelming if all five of us came to the rescue." Gakupo smiled slightly, his gaze soft when it landed on Rin. "Isn't that right, little girl?" He said it affectionately, causing everyone near to blush. Len almost rolled his eyes. _Seriously, why is everyone suddenly blushing like idiots?_

"Besides, what are you talking about _Bakaito!?_ I can handle them just fine!" Meiko suddenly smacked Kaito upside the head, the sound and the force making everyone wince. Kaito seemed to be fine though, because he just groaned and rubbed his aching head before walking towards the table like nothing happened.

 _Wait…_ Len noticed that he's walking _towards_ Rin. They all watched as the blue-haired man knelt so they're now practically eye-level. Rin's gazing at him with curious eyes, while he's just smiling at her gently. Both are oblivious to a bright red Len trembling furiously beside them while Rinto and Lenka tried to calm the boy down.

After a moment of staring, Kaito smiled and nodded as if she just passed a test, he ruffled her hair and watched as Rin struggled cutely. "So your name's Kagami Rin." He whispered. Rin sent him a mildly annoyed look as she smoothed her hair down and he laughed. "I knew we met already! You were even eating orange ice cream at the time!" He grinned, "I can't _wait_ to see you in the upcoming auditions, Rin-chan." Kaito stood up and winked at her, sending Rin in a blushing frenzy again. Now Rinto and Lenka had to hold Len physically back before he launched himself at the 'flirty blue-head', as he calls Kaito.

Suddenly, someone smacked Kaito upside the head again before dragging him mercilessly after the other leaving Cryptons, an angry Meiko lecturing him about _'scaring and flirting with innocent girls'_ while Kaito just laughed sheepishly, obviously used to this kind of treatment. The Cryptons then left the cafeteria with a **BANG!** Literally. Because Meiko slammed the door shut behind them, leaving everyone stunned and speechless at the scene they left.

The whole cafeteria is left as silent as a tomb, everyone's eyes on the pop singers table. That is, until Rin faced them with the most clueless expression on her face.

"What auditions?"

Cue Len high-tailing it out of there before the situation gets any weirder and crazier, deciding to dump the rest of the explanations to Rinto.


End file.
